Swine flu outbreak sees work flood in for PC Howard
November 21st, 2009
Item submitted by: PC Howard Ltd Distribution & Warehousing
The recent outbreak of swine flu saw orders flood in to PC Howard in Brixworth, putting to the test the company's manufacturing and distribution capabilities.
Working together as a team with Bioguard Hygiene Solutions of Kingsthorpe, distribution company PC Howard ensured that vital supplies were available to customers across the UK and Europe.
Bioguard Hygiene Solutions is a manufacturer and distributor of specialist hygiene, cleaning and infection control products, supplying mainly hospitals, health care and food processors, vending and drinks dispensing clients, from small independent companies to multinational blue chip market leaders.
Products manufactured at the Bunting Road site include cleaning solutions, surface wiping systems, hand gels and scrubs. The products are formulated to meet stringent requirements, while at the same time designed to be user friendly, environmentally friendly and cost effective.
"During the time when the swine flu scare was at its highest, we took the equivalent of three months' worth of orders in two weeks," said Bioguard Managing Director Stuart Hay.
"Hospitals and health care customers across this country and Europe were suddenly putting in orders for extra products as they dealt with fears over the spread of infection and we had to try to meet their requirements. Our needs were two-fold, we needed to bring extra raw materials in so that we could manufacture more, and we needed to ship manufactured goods out to clients who were waiting for them to arrive.
"Flexibility and commitment are key here, knowing that we could rely on PC Howard to work with us to make that happen was of vital importance to our company."
Bioguard Hygiene Solutions works closely with PC Howard to carry out deliveries in this country through the company's own distribution service, and to Europe utilising PC Howard's membership of the Palletways network.
The network allows PC Howard customers access to services nationally and to Europe by means of a UK-based distribution hub. Customers also have access to online track and trace facilities and proof of delivery documentation.
Bruce Macmillan, Business Development Manager at PC Howard, said: "What this shows is the importance of having a distribution company that understands your business and can respond to a sudden change in workload or requirements.
"At PC Howard, we don't just carry out the deliveries, we try to get to know our customers, to build a good working relationship with them and understand their business needs. Having built that relationship, we then have the infrastructure in place to respond to their requirements, even when they are faced with a sudden change in circumstances, such as in Bioguard's case. The flexibility we are able to offer makes it possible for them to respond to an increase in orders, so is good for their business, and is, therefore, good for the working relationship as a whole."
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